Grey Lines: Authorship and Copying Norms in Contemporary Tattooing Practice

Abstract

In recent decades, professional tattooing has shifted from a sub/counterculture into popular culture and society. Daily, we encounter tattooed people from all aspects of society—from service workers to lawyers. This prevalence of tattooing has roused academic attention; however, the primary focus has been on the tattoo wearer rather than tattoo maker, and tattooing has been treated as a phenomenon rather than a medium (Lodder, 2022), with little distinction made between a small initial on a wrist, and a large-scale back piece despite clear differences in the manner in which the tattoos have been made. This limited understanding of what tattooists actually do leaves crucial gaps in understanding of a significantly important creative industry.

Based on practical experience as a tattooist and design scholar, this presentation seeks to elucidate on how the material role of the tattooist may be understood from the perspective of authorial input. Approached from disciplinary vantage point of the creative industries, a framework is presented to better understand the contingency of tattooist visibility in tattoo outcome. Expanding on this based on current research-in-progress collaboratively undertaken with Hadley (2025), questioning is invited regarding the tensions between legal understanding and practical application of ‘copying’ norms in contemporary practice.

Bio

Adam McDade is a tattooist, illustrator, and (currently) independent scholar from North-East England, based in Manchester and tattooing out of Flesh Chambers. He holds the World’s first PhD to utilise tattooing practice as a core methodology (2021), which he gained from the University of Sunderland (UK). His current research surrounds tattooists and their understanding of trauma informed care; intellectual property and copying norms within tattooing practice; and novel methodological approaches to collaborative research.

About this event

This is a public lecture delivered in partnership with the Centre for Law and Social Justice, University of Newcastle. It is included as part of the curriculum for LAWS6086 Intellectual Property Law. Members of the public including university students are welcome to attend our "open classroom". Proudly supported by the College of Human and Social Futures Pilot Funding Scheme, University of Newcastle.

If you register for this event, you may be contacted via your registered email address to participate in a brief online survey about your experiences.